Electronic pricing system, device and method

ABSTRACT

An electronic pricing system, includes price label system server adapted to communicate with a price controlling application (PCA) server communicating price label information to price labels (PLs). The system is designed to generate control signals for updating price information related to at least two separate sales items that are both/all logically linked to an individual price label in the system, the price label being designed to receive the control signals and to display the price information for each item separately.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an electronic pricing system, deviceand method according to the preambles of independent claims. Morespecifically, the invention relates to an electronic pricing systemcapable of associating two or more separate sales items to oneindividual price label supported by the system.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND

The price label system according to the present invention is generallyan electronic pricing and information system that replaces the old paperlabels with electronic labels where the prices on labels can bewirelessly changed from a computer.

The actual price changes are not done in the price label system, but inthe store's Price Controlling Application (PCA) system. The PCA containsa database which stores all the information about the items in thestore, e.g. product name, package size, and the current price. Thestore's cash registers are connected to the PCA system, and thus alwayshave the correct price information. The PCA can e.g. be the store'sback-office computer system. There are no limitations regarding hostcomputers for the PCA and the price label system server. They may be runon the same computer or in two (or more) different computers.

The PCA system controls the actual price of an item and provides theprice label system according to the invention with updating informationwhenever the price is changed. The PCA system interacts with the pricelabel system to supply information to the price labels (PLs). This isnormally performed via a Price File Interface (PFI) that is asoftware-to software interface connecting the PCA system to the pricelabel system server. The only prerequisite is that all PFI files (seebelow) are reachable (can be read and written) within any path of amounted drive or file system known to the computer where the PFI serviceis executing. The transportation mechanisms through the PFI are e.g.common text files, e.g. in 8-bit ASCII format or 2-byte UNICODE. Othertransportation mechanisms are naturally possible. The price label systemautomatically detects the format of the input files. Two PFI files arecreated by the PCA, a message file and a data file. The price labelsystem creates a third PFI file, a result file that is retrieved by thePCA.

The message file contains one or many commands to the price label, e.g.a target link command used to establish the connection between an itemand a label and an update command used to change the information on thelabel, e.g. the price.

The data file contains data such as prices, item identity and labelidentity (price label ID) and the result file contains the results fromexecuted commands.

The price label system generally comprises software installed in aserver computer, a hardware infrastructure and price labels. Thehardware infrastructure comprises base stations, transceivers andcables. The price labels are mounted with their items in the store, e.g.on the shelf-edges. Transceivers are normally mounted in the ceiling andbase stations normally on a wall. A predetermined number of transceiversare connected to a base station, which is connected to the price labelsystem server, preferably via a hub. The price label server is connectedto the PCA, often via the same network.

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an overview of the PCA and the pricelabel system briefly described above and in accordance withwell-established technique where the present invention is applicable.

When a price is changed in the PCA system, the information is sent tothe price label system server (PLS server). From the PLS server,designated as “server” in FIG. 1, the information is sent via a hub andbase stations BS to transceivers in the ceiling where it is transformedinto infrared signals. When the electronic price labels receive theinfrared signals the price is immediately updated.

Each electronic price label acknowledges the updated price bytransmitting a feedback pulse to the transceivers. The feedback pulse isreturned to the server and stored in a database to verify that thetransmission was OK.

Although the system shown in FIG. 1 uses infrared signals whencommunicating with the price label it should be noted that the presentinvention is equally applicable for any type of communication signalused between the price label system and the price labels. Amongdifferent types of communication signal applicable in the system can bementioned radio wave signals, optical signals, electrical signals.

A cell is defined as the set of transceivers connected to the same basestation. A sub-cell is defined as each set of simultaneouslytransmitting transceivers. All transceivers within a sub-cellsimultaneously transmit the same data. A power supply energizes thetransmitting transceivers.

A price label (PL) is an electronic device provided with an LCD displaythat is supplied by electric and electronic components for driving thedisplay. The internal components and the LCD display are supported in acasing which may be sized for mounting the price label onto the forwardedge of a store shelf, e.g. Each PL has a unique address and islogically connected to a sales item in the store. Normally the PLdisplays an item's price. FIG. 2 a shows a typical price label where allfields are active and FIG. 2 b shows a price label displaying normalprice and normal unit price. A sender and transmitter part 2 and a smallsolar cell 4 can also be seen on the price label in FIG. 2 b. A battery,or a combination of battery and solar cell, provides the power for thePL.

There exists many different kinds of price labels, they can e.g. differin size, in number of price fields or other fields. The word “price” isused throughout the application to define what is displayed on the pricelabel. It should however be noted that although the price label oftendisplays price information it is naturally possible to display othertype of information on the price labels, solely or in addition to priceinformation, without departing from the scope of the present invention.This other type of information may for example be text, figures orimages.

The labels can also differ in the way the price label system needs tohandle them, e.g. with regard to used communication protocol, and if thecircuitry inside the price label has been changed.

For further details on an electronic pricing system suitable forimplementing the improvements suggested by the present invention, seee.g. WO 02/05171 A1 and WO 02/05058 A2.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

The objects of the present invention are to further enhance theperformance of an electronic pricing system substantially as discussedabove. More specifically, one object of the present invention is toprovide en electronic pricing system with improved exploitation ofaccessible shelf space for displaying sales items in stores.

Another object is to provide a space saving price label in an electronicpricing system with improved exploitation of shelf edge space for pricelabels, thus permitting a more condense display of small sized items onthe shelf, e.g.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an electronicpricing system and price label with enhanced update speed in pricechanges on the price labels.

Still another object is to provide an electronic pricing system thatpermits a reduction of the number of price labels required fordisplaying prices on sales items in a store.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a system andprice label airing towards a reduction of costs for production andimplementation of the electronic pricing system.

A still further object is to provide a solution for an electronicpricing system and a price label that overrules the limitations fordownscaling of price label size, set by the physical components thatsupply and support the price information display.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above-mentioned objects and aims are achieved by an electronicpricing system, price label and method as defined by the appendedindependent claims. Preferred embodiments are set forth in subordinatedclaims depending there from.

Briefly, the present invention foresees that two or several sales itemsare logically linked to an individual price label supported by thesystem, and the price label being arranged to display price informationassociated with each separate item linked to that price label.

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a price controlling applicationsystem and a price label system according to well-established techniqueand wherein the present invention is applicable;

FIGS. 2 a and 2 b show typical prior art price labels used by the priorart electronic pricing system;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the relationships betweendifferent hardware and software objects in an electronic pricing systemsuitable for implementation of the invention;

FIG. 4 shows the main blocks of an electronic pricing system wherein thepresent invention may be implemented;

FIGS. 5 a and 5 b are examples of multiple item price labels supportedby an electronic pricing system according to the invention;

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic illustration of the data frame structure forupdating a multiple item price label according to the invention, and

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 further illustrating the data framestructure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Definitions of different objects used to define an electronic pricelabel are provided below. These objects may be tables, databases and inparticular relational databases.

Price label type (PL type) describes the physical characteristics for aprice label, e.g. communication protocol parameters and LCD displaysegments and how they are grouped. The characteristics of a PL type aredescribed in a device file

Price label layout (PL layout) specification describes how to map itemdata on the label. A PL layout script that configures how to map dataonto a specific PL type performs this. The script is defined in a layoutscript file that is compiled by the system at start-up. Each segment ofthe PL display is possible to control.

Price label model (PL model) contains information about how to applyinformation sent to the system over e.g. the PFI (Price File Interface)to the labels. The PL model contains information about layout scripts touse for different Item Presentation Forms (see below). In the pricelabel server, the PL model optionally refers also to overlay type andlayout. An overlay is an optionally used paper that is attached to thelabel's front end. The overlay may comprise information about the item,such as name, brand and weight.

Generally, PL model and PL layout script concern mapping of data and PLtype concerns the physical characteristics of the price label.

An Item Presentation Form (IPF) is an abstraction of what information todisplay on a PL for an Item. It is passed as an Item property by thePCA. Thus it isolates the PCA from the PL layout scripts handledinternally by the price label system. The references between IPF and PLlayout scripts are kept within the PL model.

A typical electronic pricing system may comprise about 10000 pricelabels, each individually controlled by the system.

FIG. 3 shows a more detailed block diagram illustrating therelationships between different hardware and software objects in anelectronic pricing system.

The Item and cross-reference, Xref, tables, together with the physicalprice labels, Price Label, are dynamic objects where the item table viaXref links each physical price label to the other objects. These otherobjects may be regarded as static objects whereas they are subject tochanges only when the system is configured, both initially when thesystem is set up and when the system is updated e.g. new PL models ortypes are added.

An ItemCache database stores data received from the PCA. In ItemPropertya property description file is arranged that contains item data andinformation how the data should be viewed in a graphical user interface(not shown in the figure). The Item Presentation Form (IPF) tablecomprises a high level description of the kind of information to bedisplayed on the Price Label. The other blocks in FIG. 3 are describedabove and in relation with the description of FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 shows the main blocks of an electronic pricing system. The systemcomprises a price file interface (PFI) where data, e.g. new price of anitem, is received in the form of a PFI data file from the store'sPCA-system (not shown in the figure). The received data is stored in anitem cache database and a request to create an update job is generated.A property description file contains item data and information how thedata should be viewed in a graphical user interface (GUI) in a client(not shown in the figure) connected to the server.

The request for updating a PL is applied to the “electronic shelf edgelabel” management block (ESL) that handles the connection between itemand price label by accessing item and label information from the itemcache database and also from internal tables in the ESL-block. Todetermine which information to send out to an individual PL, the PL'sassociated PL layout script file is executed based on information in theassociated PL model, using the IPF to select the appropriate layoutscript. The layout script files describe how to map item data onto theprice label. There are a number of layout script files for each PL type.When the layout script is executed, the output from the layout script istransformed into a format called “field data contents” (FDC) containingthe data to send.

The FDCs are collected in a batch in the “price communication service”(PCS) block. The PCS block converts, by using “device files” and byusing the settings in an associated communication protocol, the FDC datato frames which are collected into a “device specific data” (DSD) thatin turn is transferred to a sending queue. The “device files” define howto display the data on the label. There is one device file for each PLtype. The PL product representing the physical PL associates the model,the layout script and the PL type.

DSDs from the sending queue are then transmitted to the base station(BS) and further in the form of data frames via the transceivers (TRX)sent to the price labels (PLs).

Below is an overview of the price changing process in a pricing systemaccording to a preferred embodiment of the present invention wherein twoor more items are associated with an individual price label:

-   1. The price label system server receives a price file containing    item identification and the new information, e.g. price, from the    store's PCA-system.-   2. Find the item in a database and get the identity of all PLs that    are linked to this item.-   3. For each PL linked to the item: Calculate frame data using all    items linked to that PL.-   4. Get the PL model to be used.-   5. Determine which layout script to use, based on the IPF from the    PL model.-   6. Execute the layout script, and perform all the steps needed to    generate the data frame that is to be transmitted to the target PL.-   7. Determine in which sub-cell the PL is located.-   8. Get communication settings from the communication protocol object    associated with the determined sub-cell.-   9. Transmit the frame to a base-station and further to the    transceivers in the determined sub-cell for communication to the    price label using the communication parameters specified in the    protocol object.

The above method is executed in an electronic pricing system comprisinga price label system server adapted to communicate with a pricecontrolling application (PCA) server, communicating price labelinformation to price labels (PLs). The system is designed to generatecontrol signals for updating price information related to at least twoseparate sales items that are both/all logically linked to an individualprice label in the system, and the price label is designed to receivethe control signals and to display the price information for each itemseparately.

Thus there is suggested an electronic price label for an electronicpricing system, comprising price label system server adapted tocommunicate with a price controlling application (PCA) servercommunicating price label information to the price labels (PLs) in thesystem. The price label is logically linked to at least two separatesales items, and adapted to display price information related to eachitem separately.

FIGS. 5 a and 5 b are illustrating examples of electronic price labelsaccording to the invention, the price label of FIG. 5 a being logicallylinked to two separate items, and the price label of FIG. 5 b beinglinked to four separate items, respectively. Other configurations,naturally, would likewise be possible. In both examples, the price labelfront area is occupied by a display area 6 displaying price informationassociated with separate items listed in the PCA database. The displaymay be a segment mapped or a dot matrix display (preferably LCDs). Thelayout on the display 6 is controlled by the layout script file for thesubject price label model, and each item may be associated with aseparate display, or a single display may be controlled to show theprices for all items linked to that price label. Also on the front area,space 8 may be reserved for an adhesive overlay carrying printed staticinformation associated with the items that are linked to the pricelabel. In the case of updating by infrared light, an IR communicationwindow 10 is arranged on the price label front.

The adhesive overlay may be printed with an item identification barcodeidentifying all items linked to the subject price label. Alternatively,separate barcodes are printed on the overlay, each barcode identifying asingular one of the two or more items linked to that price label. Theitem identification may also alternatively be stored in the price labeland sent to a hand held device upon request, using any conceivablecommunication method.

An electronic pricing system, that supports and controls the displayingof price information related to separate items on the multiple itemprice labels of FIGS. 5 a and 5 b, clearly benefits from a reducedoverhead of viewable surface in terms of surrounding walls of the pricelabel casing, communication windows, and peripheral, non-effectivedisplay areas. Another benefit resides in the fact that internalphysical components such as power source, communication interface,display drive components and controls, etc., may be shared by two ormore items thus significantly reducing the costs for components,production and installation. It will be readily appreciable, that theinvention: a) makes possible a significant reduction of the total numberof price labels in the system, b) provides further alternatives inrearrangement of items on the shelves, c) permits a more condensedisplay of small sized items, d) overrules the limitations fordownscaling of price label size, set by the physical components thatsupplies and supports the price information display.

It is also foreseen, and diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 6, thatsecurity and updating speed is enhanced through reduction of dataoverhead. By linking several items to one price label ID, updating datafor all items displayed on that price label may be simultaneouslytransmitted and the data overhead, such as price label address, command,checksum etc., shared by the updating data for all separate itemsincluded in the data frame. In the system, the links between items andthe subject price label are used in such way that price label ID will bedetermining for the number of item specific data fields (DATA1, DATA2,etc.) to be included in the data frame, and multiple item specific databeing assembled with data overhead and simultaneously transmitted to theprice label.

The saving of time is further illustrated in FIG. 7. If communicationprotocol is fixed at a data size that is at least double the amount(including dummy bits) that is needed for one item, then the same datacommunication protocol may be used for two items and in this case onemessage is sent instead of two, and hence the transmission speed isdoubled. It is realized, that a reduction of transmitting time causes acorresponding reduction of active receiving and energy consumption inthe price label.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described preferredembodiment adapted for mounting on a shelf edge. Various alternatives,modifications and equivalents may be used, such as individual pricelabels linked to two or more fruit and vegetable products, menu labels,etc. Other modifications may include dual display modes, wherebynormally hidden information stored in the price label may be broughtforward by manual actuation or through a time sharing control logicincluded in the display drive, e.g. Therefore, the above embodimentsshould not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention, which isdefined by the appending claims.

1. An electronic pricing system, comprising price label system serveradapted to communicate with a price controlling application (PCA) servercommunicating price label information to price labels (PLs),characterized in that the system is designed to generate control signalsfor updating price information related to at least two separate salesitems that are both/all logically linked to an individual price label inthe system, said price label being designed to receive the controlsignals and to display the price information for each item separately.2. The electronic pricing system of claim 1, wherein a price label isdefined through price label type, price label layout script and pricelabel model, characterized in that the system generates and transmitsframe data comprising multiple item data related to items that arelogically linked to an individual price label in the system and based onthe price label layout script, price label model and price label type,the price label being designed to receive the data frame and separatethe item data for displaying price information associated with theseparate items.
 3. The electronic pricing system of claim 1,characterized in that the system generates frame data containingupdating data related to each item linked to the price label, the pricelabel simultaneously updating the price/prices of all items linked tothe subject price label.
 4. The electronic pricing system of claim 1,characterized in that price label ID determines the number of itemspecific data fields included in the data frame, and multiple itemspecific data being assembled with data overhead and simultaneouslytransmitted to the price label.
 5. An electronic price label, in anelectronic pricing system comprising price label system server adaptedto communicate with a price controlling application (PCA) servercommunicating price label information to price labels (PLs) in thesystem, characterized by being logically linked to at least two separatesales items, and adapted to display price information related to eachitem separately.
 6. The electronic price label of claim 5, wherein theprice label is defined through price label type, price label layoutscript and price label model, characterized by being adapted to receiveframe data comprising multiple item data related to items that arelogically linked to the price label in the system and based on the pricelabel layout script, price label model and price label type, the pricelabel being designed to separate the item data for displaying priceinformation associated with the separate items.
 7. The price label ofclaim 5, characterized by separate displays for each item linked to theprice label, said separate displays being supplied from common physicalcomponents included in the price label.
 8. The price label of claim 5,characterized by a common display for all items linked to the pricelabel, and said price label layout script controlling the display forseparating price information related to each item linked to the pricelabel.
 9. The price label of claim 5, wherein the display is a dotmatrix display, preferably an LCD display.
 10. The price label of claim5, wherein the display is a segment mapped display, preferably an LCDdisplay.
 11. The price label of claim 5, wherein each item linked to theprice label is associated with an item identification code that isstored in the price label and sent to a hand held device upon request.12. The application of an electronic pricing system and a price labelaccording to claim 1 for displaying price information on shelf edges.13. The application of an electronic pricing system and a price labelaccording to 1 for displaying price information related to fruit andvegetable products.
 14. The application of an electronic pricing systemand a price label according to claim 1 for displaying price informationon menu signs.
 15. A method for controlling price information displayedby an electronic pricing system which supports price labels that arecapable of displaying price information associated with at least twoseparate items linked to the price label, comprising the steps of:transferring price information and item identification data from a pricecontrol application (PCA) server to a price label system server;identify all price labels linked to the item; for each identified pricelabel: calculate frame data using all items linked to that price label,and transmit the data frame to the price label.
 16. The method of claim15, comprising the steps of: transferring price information and itemidentification data from a price control application (PCA) server to aprice label system server; identify all price labels linked to the item;for each identified price label: calculate frame data using all itemslinked to that price label; get the price label model, and determinewhich layout script to be used based on the item presentation form (IPF)from the model; execute the layout script and generate a data frame tobe transmitted to the price label; get communication settings associatedwith the price label, and transmit the data frame to the price labelusing the specified communication parameters.
 17. Computer programproduct directly loadable into the internal memory of a processing unitin a price label system server, comprising the software code portionsfor performing the steps performed by the price label server or by themethod according to claim 1, when said product is run on a price labelsystem server.
 18. Computer program product stored on a computer usablemedium, comprising a readable program for causing a processing unit in aprice label system server, to control an execution of the stepsperformed by the price label server or by the method according to claim1.